Possible Glass Contamination Forces Recall Of Popular Trader Joe's Frozen Fried Rice Product

If you were excited about the Trader Joe's fried rice waiting for you in your freezer at home, we're sorry to burst your bubble, but a recall may mean it needs to be tossed pronto. This recall was just announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc., the manufacturer of the Trader Joe's product in question. According to the USDA recall notice, two products, including Trader Joe's Chicken Fried Rice, may be contaminated with glass.

The other product in question is Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice, sold under the Ajinomoto brand name. Thus far, there have been no reports of injury from this big Trader Joe's recall, but the USDA has received at least four complaints about consumers finding glass in these products. The possibly contaminated fried rice from Trader Joe's collection of Asian frozen food was shipped nationwide, while the Ajinomoto-branded product was only shipped to stores in Canada.

Per the recall notice, the Trader Joe's Chicken Fried Rice includes "Best By" dates of 9/8/2026 through 11/17/2026, while the Ajinomoto brand bears the dates of "26 SE 09" through "26 NO 12." The SKU number of the Trader Joe's product is 33251. You may also identify the recalled fried rice items through the USDA establishment number on each bag, with the affected products labeled P-18356. Photos of the recalled products can be found on the USDA website.

This massive fried rice recall affects an impressive 3,370,530 pounds of products made by Ajinomoto. Despite the lack of injuries so far, glass contamination is a serious issue, and the USDA has labeled this a Class I recall. According to the USDA website, a Class I recall "involves a health hazard situation where there is a reasonable probability that use of the product will cause serious, adverse health consequences or death."

Consuming glass is not always damaging if the pieces are small, but if you have recently eaten any of the recalled products in question, abdominal pain, bloating, blood in stool, and fever could be symptoms of consumption. If that is the case, you should contact a health professional as soon as possible. If you still have the chicken fried rice that has been recalled in your freezer, either throw it out or return it to Trader Joe's for a full refund. If you have further questions about the recall, you can contact Trader Joe's by phone at (626)-599-3817.